Porto Rosso and Cogli’s granitas in Uggiano La Chiesa

Taking the enchanting coastal road towards Porto Badisco – identified as the cove where Virgil had his literary hero Aeneas set foot on land – just past the Torre Specchia di Guardia, you arrive at Porto Rosso. This cove is hidden by golden vegetation and rocks: as you walk on, you find yourself facing a marvellous, refreshing stretch of azure water – wild and with a shifting perspective, as the bay widens ever further. Whilst Bar da Carlo is the perfect spot for a Lecce-style coffee with almond milk before diving into the other coves of Porto Badisco (though these are already crowded at this time of year), a detour inland will allow you to discover the churches and the historic centre of Uggiano La Chiesa, whose inhabitants all seem, without exception, to own tiny vintage cars and mopeds: your destination must be Pasticceria Dolce Vita, because Antonio Cogli and Lucia Bona, husband and wife, together with their trusted colleague Daniele, have revived the art of granita using red mulberries, local almonds and lemons from their own garden. Their ‘pasticcioni’ with cream and black cherry are delightfully addictive, as are the rare ‘Dolce della sposa’ pastries and the reimagined pistachio ‘rustici’. You can savour these sweet treats right in front of the 18th-century church of Santa Maria Maddalena, whose stucco-decorated ceiling resembles a cake: even the altars of the Immaculate Conception and St Joseph are rounded like a cream topping.